The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [142]
PARTIAL BODY BATHS
EMPLOYING COLD WATER
A single short application of cold water brought in contact with the general surface of the body is always restorative and invigorating in its influence. According to the circumstances under which it is experienced, the actions of cold water can be stimulant, astringent, tonic, refrigerant, sedative, or debilitating. Relying on these actions, cold water can be used to refresh and invigorate after hard labor, to check feverish and inflammatory processes, to stimulate a sluggish and overburdened nervous system, to arrest spasm, to relieve congestion and pain, or to diminish excessive secretions and bleeding. A cold water bath seems to energize whatever you decide to do following its application; if you choose to be mellow, it relaxes you, if you want to be activated, it stimulates you.
Cold water is one of the best applications for a variety of local inflammations, such as burns, scalds, chafed skin, and the stings of insects. Cold is one of the most immediate and potent means of arresting bleeding, whether from the lungs, stomach, bowels (bleeding from these organs can be serious problems and need medical diagnosis), nose, uterus, or from wounds. In such cases it should be applied as near as possible to the source of bleeding. A prolonged application to the upper portion of the back relieves congestion of the nasal mucous membrane, and is therefore useful in nosebleed. A friend of mine, Dr. Don, has been a practicing physician for more years than he probably cares to mention. He uses ice as his initial first aid treatment. He explains that the simple application of ice promotes the healing process of all forms of injury as it cleans the wound site, reduces the onset of inflammation, inhibits the action of opportunistic microorganisms, arrests bleeding, and hastens the repair of tissue. I suggest applying the ice (cold) treatment for 5 to 10 minutes. When it is removed, the body’s natural thermic reaction will kick in (see discussion of thermic reaction in “Whole Body Baths”), raise the temperature of the area, and enhance vascular activity, quicken vital functions, and promote rapid delivery of the body’s healing agents for efficient repair.
Cold water in the form of baths and wet wrappings is well employed in many cases of recurrent or intermittent fevers where there is a fall of temperature to normal at periodical intervals, as in malarial fevers. The use of cold water as a drink for tending to fevers is instinctual as well as reasonable.
It is possible to induce a warming reaction in cold body parts by rubbing them with snow or ice in a warm room, and you can warm cold feet by taking off shoes and stockings and rubbing your bare feet with snow, then immediately drying and dressing them again to promote a thermic reaction.
The application of cold fomentation around inflamed joints or soon after an acute injury to a joint is of great benefit as an astringent agent to help contain swelling, pain, and inflammation. To restrain local inflammatory processes, thereby relieving the pain and swelling of a sprained or strained joint, keep the sprained part raised high, and during the first 24 hours soak the joint in cold water or wrap it with a cold or iced fomentation (so as to suppress as much as possible the body’s natural warming reaction to cold). Then, after the first day, use hot soaks.
The repressive power of cold water is reliable in the treatment of burns and scalds. One need apply the cold water immediately after the injury and continue this steadily. This will help remove the heat of the burn, lessen inflammation, and reduce damage to tissue.
The sitz bath has fallen into disuse in our professional health care system, as has hydrotherapy in general, due most likely to its relatively labor-intensive nature.